Tea Time
by exiled mind
Summary: Hikaru shows his affection through gifts of tea.  What more could a girl ask for? A ficlet from the Bridge2sickbay drabble community.


Content Advisory: language, sexual references  
Prompt: Sulu, Gaila - Green tea

* * *

**Tea Time**

* * *

Gaila found the first mug on her desk in her quarters. It had been a long staff meeting involving a great deal of arguing and negotiation regarding how and when to implement the newest set of upgrades to the _Enterprise_ systems and engines.

She was tired and on edge, and her back ached from the prolonged restriction to a chair in the conference room. She planned to use her lunch break to stretch and breathe, and maybe indulge in a bit of relaxing "me time" with her newest vibrator while reading the latest issue of _Space Fever_, which, despite the cheesy name, was definitely effective as far as erotic monthlies went.

It was a thick-handled deep blue mug filled with still-hot green tea, meaning whoever had left it for her had done so very recently, and it was a delicious addition to her plans.

::

The second time it happened, she'd worked far into gamma shift and fallen asleep at her cluttered workstation, her head pillowed on her arm, which in turn was resting upon a number of upgrade reports, a broken PADD, and the tray that held the long-ignored remains of her dinner.

A soft noise from behind her nudged her into wakefulness, but by the time she'd realized what had occurred and turned around, there was no one in sight. She turned back to her station and saw the delicate white teacup and saucer perched on a stack of manuals in the corner of her desk. There was a small, crunchy biscuit that tasted of butter and cinnamon on a small square of cloth beside it.

They both hit the spot, the vanilla oolong and the sweet biscuit, and she managed to pull off another two hours of work before finally returning to her quarters for some well-deserved rest.

::

The third time occurred after the Klingon attack as the _Enterprise_ limped - triumphantly, but limping all the same - towards the nearest starbase for repairs.

Everyone on the ship was tired and rattled, but none more so than the Engineering crew who, in between keeping up with the regular work of running the ship, also had a massive backlog of repairs, and taking turns checking in with Doctor McCoy and Nurse Chapel in medical regarding the progress of Scotty's surgery and recovery.

Apparently worry for one's eccentric but beloved superior officers was more wearing than pulling double or triple shifts.

Gaila had just returned to the Engineering deck from her turn at the vigil in Medical knowing that, despite her heavy eyelids and growling stomach, she had more work than she had time, and stopped short.

She and the deputy chief had taken over Scotty's office temporarily for the purposes of planning and commanding the repair teams, and upon returning to the chaos, she noted the newest offering.

Her benefactor had cleared a section of the desk and left a tray piled high with sandwiches, fruits, and a large carafe of strong black tea.

Gaila nearly cried in relief as she poured a mug and took a long, lingering sip of the rich decadence before calling over the rest of her hardworking comrades to enjoy a brief respite from the madness of their day. Night? What the hell time _was_ it, anyways?

Gaila shrugged and took another sip.

::

It was several days before Gaila returned to her quarters with the intention of staying longer than the time necessary for a shower and change of uniform.

It wasn't until the door swished shut behind her that she noticed the figure sitting at her table with a tall, narrow gray teapot and two matching cups set up in front of him.

"I suspected it was you."

Hikaru smiled at her as she drank the entire cup in one long sip - it contained something fruity and just a bit tart - and held out his hand once she'd finished. "I wasn't trying all that hard to hide it."

Gaila set her hand in his and let him lead her over to her long neglected bed before tucking her in. He crawled under the sheets beside her and pulled her against him, settling his cheek on her shoulder and squeezing her tightly before stroking her hair until she fell asleep.


End file.
